USA > West Virginia > Ritchie County > History of Ritchie County, with biographical sketches of its pioneers and their ancestors, and with interesting reminiscences of revolutionary and Indian times > Part 17
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Jeanette McGregor, the only daughter that reared a fan- ily, born in 1821, was married to Leonard S. Hall, brother of Jolın S. Hall, the blind poet, who was long a leading barrister of New Martinsville ; and after his death, in 1875, she went to Wheeling, where she spent her last hours at the home of hier daughter, Mrs. Addie Baggs, in 1904.
Her other children are as follows: Mrs. Sue Newman, Hon. Septimus Hall, who was a member of the State Consti- tutional Convention in 1872, and who has since been a mem- ber of both houses of the Legislature, Bruce Hall, and the late William, all well-known lawyers of New Martinsville.
At the time of the coming of the McGregors, this country was engaged in its second war with Great Britain, and it was the custom of the British men-of-war to take young unmar- ried men from the emigrant ships bound for these shores and press them into their service; and on board this vessel, as a member of the McGregor party, was a young man by the name of Ferguson, who was made the unfortunate victim of this custom; he being seized and taken on board a British man-of-war, from which he escaped by swimming to shore at some point on the coast of Florida. From here he made his way to Canada, and finally, back to the place of his nativ- ity at Edinburgh, Scotland, where he became a prosperous business man.
Thomas McGregor, senior, an elder brother of John. senior, came to America also, and settled in Indiana, where
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he lived and died. He married but had no children ; but as above stated, he partly reared his nephew, who bore his own name-Thomas McGregor.
The Halls .- "About two hundred years ago there was a young farmer by the name of Hall residing in the Northern part of England." He fell in love with a beautiful Scotch lassie, wooed and won her; and, doubtlessly, influenced by the wonderful tales they had heard of the New World, shortly after their marriage, they crossed the ocean and settled at Duck Bridge, Maryland, not far from Baltimore. Here, after rearing a family of several children, they died at an advanced age.
One of their sons, Samuel, married, and was the father of two sons, Thomas and Joseph ; and when the Revolution- ary war broke out, the father and the elder son, Thomas, took up arms in defense of the colonies, and served under the direct command of General Washington.
Samuel and his wife died within two days of each other .. and were laid in the same grave; and after their death, their sons crossed the mountains and settled in Pendleton county (W.) Virginia, on the South branch of the Potomac, where they were engaged in farming.
Joseph was first married to Miss Barbara Dickenson, and David, John, Samuel, Thomas, and Nancy, were the children of this union.
After her death, he (Joseph) removed to Harrison coun- ty, where he was again married to Mrs. Elizabeth Reger Tal- bott, who was the mother of his three sons, Jacob R., Enoch, and Philip ; and his two daughters, Kathrine, and Phoebe Hall. Here he died in 1821, at the age of eighty years, and his widow, who survived him, lived to the age of eighty-seven.
John Hall, a son of his first union, married Miss Eliza- beth Gregg, and was the father of Samuel G. Hall, the Ritchie county pioneer, and of four other children ; viz., Louis Ches- tine, Thomas, Nancy and Elizabeth.
Samuel G. Hall was born in Harrison county, in 1803; and there the days of his youth and his young manhood were spent. In 1823, he was married to Miss Rachel Hudkins,. daughter of Barton Hudkins, whose history appears among:
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the early settlers of White Oak, and after spending the first nineteen years of their married life in Barbour and Tyler counties, they came to Ritchie in 1842, and took up their resi- dence on Bond's creek, at the mouth of Dog Comfort, on a part of the farm that is now the homestead of Thomas Dye. Two years later they emigrated to Indiana, and there, in 1846. Mr. Hall fell asleep, and at New Buffalo, Michigan, his ashes lie. In 1849, Mrs. Hall, with her three younger children, re- turned to Bond's creek, where she continued to reside until 1814. when she removed to St. Mary's, where she bade adieu to earth in 1883, and at Highland she lies at rest.
The children of this family were twelve in number-seven girls and five boys: Naomi (who married Jacob Bosler), Sacharissa (Amos Gorrell), and Rebecca (Wilbert Rider). have all passed on. Sarah A. is Mrs. S. P. Howell, of Indiana ; Elizabeth, the late venerable widow of William McGregor. of Highland : and Misses Mary J., and Nannie P., reside at St. Mary's. Miss Nannie has led a very active life, she having taught school for forty-four years in Indiana, and West Vir- ginia. In 1883-4, she was principal of the St. Mary's school -- an honor that has never been conferred on any other member of her sex.
She has been engaged as a teacher in Sunday-school work for more than fifty years, and was President of the St. Mary's organization, of the W. C. T. U. for seventeen years.
Leonard S. Hall, the eldest son of the family, was a mem- ber of the Richmond Convention that passed the ordinance of secession. He took an active interest in the affairs of the Confederacy during the war, and at its close went to Wetzel county, where he served as Prosecuting Attorney, and rose to eminence at the bar. Here he died in 1875. (See McGregor Family.)
Simon Hall, who now resides in Indiana, took up arms in behalf of the Union cause. William W. also served as a Union soldier, and was a lawyer of ability. He practiced at the bar of Wetzel county until 1870, when he removed to St. Mary's, where he held the office of Prosecuting Attorney for fourteen years. Here he passed from earth in September, 1884.
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Allen S., who died at Fort Sill, Indian territory, in 1880, was a Confederate soldier ; and, on comparing notes with his brother, William, in after life, found that they had unwitting- ly "fought against each other in seven different battles."
John S. Hall, the blind poet, of St. Mary's, is the youngest member of the family ; and to his interesting career, which is set apart from all the others in this history by the hand-i-cap of blindness, we dedicate a little corner of this work-to Rit- chie county's first poet. (See Poet's Corner.)
Hon. Septimus Hall, of New Martinsville, who has been State Senator, and is now a member of the House of Dele- gates, is a grandson of Samuel G. Hall, he being a son of Leonard. and Mrs. Jeannette McGregor Hall.
The Pyles .- This family comes of English stock. Elisha Pyles was a soldier of the war of 1812, and tradition says at its close he was sent to the Northwest in the campaign against the Indians, and that he either died or lost his life in battle in Ohio near the year 1817. However, he never returned : and in 1820 his widow, Mrs. Kathrine Crawford Pyles, of Monongalia county, with her two orphaned children, Pene- lope, a daughter of a few summers ; and William, a child of three, emigrated to Middlebourne, in Tyler county, where she remained for a few years-until she was married to Jolin Cunningham, son of Edward Cunningham, an early settler at the mouth of Whiskey run. And after her marriage to Cunningham they settled at the forks of Husher's run, where they remained until her son had established a home of his own; and they then removed to Ohio, where death overtook them.
Five children were born of her union with Cunningham :
The late C. B. Cunningham, of Ohio: the late B. F., of Gilmer county: and Edward, of Missouri; and Micha, who died at Mineral, Ohio; and Laura, who is married and resides near Guisville, that state.
Penelope, the daughter of the first union, married against . her mother's wishes and went away and was never heard from again.
William I. Pyles, the son of the first union, who was born
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on March 31, 1817, was the progenitor of the Ritchie county family.
After his mother came to Middlebourne, he lived with two families by the name of Sayre and Hayne, until she mar- ried again ; and on Husher's run, at the home of his step- father, he grew to manhood.
On March 30, 1837, he was married to Miss Elizabetlı Cunningham, daughter of Elijah and Sarah Wigner Cun- ningham, and granddaughter of William, of Cornwallis, who was born on March 29, 1816, and soon after their marriage, settled on Husher's run, where they remained until 1839. when they removed to Bond's creek and settled on land owned by John Rawson-and made the improvement that was after- wards purchased by John Weekly; and also the one that passed into the hands of John Lacy at an early day.
Mr. Rawson entered a thousand acres of land on this creek at the small cost of one dollar eighty cents for the entire tract; and after making the improvements above mien- tioned on the Rawson land, Mr. Pyles purchased a farm of his own farther up the creek. And from here he went to the Madison Lambert farm. where he resided for some time, and where he run a water-mill.
He finally removed to the head of Big Knot, where he fell asleep on March 29, 1892. His wife died on August 20, 1894, and side by side they lie at rest in the Beech Grove cemetery ; here, too, their eldest son, who died in 1845, is also sleeping.
Mr. Pyles was noted for his "craze" for planting out fruit trees, and wherever he lived, he left a young orchard as a memorial.
His children are as follows :
Sarah, who is the widow of the late J. A. Lacey, resides in Ohio; Barbara, who married S. A. Rawson, died in 1877: Serena B., who resides, at Hebron, is the widow of the late John Wricke: Laura V. is the widow of J. W. Hawkins, and at Parkersburg she resides; Susanna is Mrs. A. Bevers, of West Union ; and W. Harrison Pyles, who is unmarried, is of Ilebron.
The Weeklys .- The autumn of 1847 brought John Week-
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ly from Tyler county to Bond's creek, and thus added another good family to the permanent citizenship of the county.
Mr. Weekly was born in 1790, and was a veteran of the war of 1812. He was first married to a Miss Gatrell, who died in early life, leaving two sons and three daughters ; and in 1825, he again took the marriage vow, when he claimed Miss Sarah Garrett as his bride; and seven children were the result of this union. Mr. Weekly died on July 5, 1878, and his wife, Sarah, who was born in 1804, on January 26, 1864. Both sleep at Highland.
The children of the first marriage were: Stephen, who married Miss Nancy Garrett, and lived and died on Goose creek, where he reared a large family. Thomas, who went West; Mary (Mrs. Hillery Pratt), Rachel (Mrs. John T. Lacy), and Mrs. Dorcas Wright, all of this county ; with the possible exception of Mrs. Wright.
The children of the second union : Richard (married Miss Ada Corbin), Justus (Miss Lucreta Carpenter ), John (Miss Orpha Slocum), Rhoda (Mrs. George Corbin), Jane (Mrs. Henry Williamson), Elizabeth (Mrs. John Farming- ton), and Sarah (Mrs. Jacob Pratt), all of whom reared large families except Justus, who died childless; and all were citi- zens of this county, but Jane and Elizabeth.
The Lacys .- For more than seventy years the name of Lacy has had a prominent connection with the citizenship of Bond's creek.
John T. Lacy, the founder of this family, was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, in 1806: and in 1832 he was mar- ried to Miss Rachel Weekly, and a few years later, came to this county and took up his residence near two miles north of Highland, on the old homestead that is still in the hands of his heirs. Here, in 1857, Mrs. Lacy passed from earth after having given birth to seven children ; and two years later he married Miss Naomi Hudkins, sister of Daniel Hudkins, of Cabin run, and six children were born of this union.
Mr. Lacy was an old time pedagogue, and he taught the first school on Bond's creek; in a log house of "primitive style," that stood where the Lacy school house now stands.
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He was always interested in educational and religious work, and contributed liberally to both causes.
His father died when he was quite young, and his mother then married Mr. Henry Haddox,1 a veteran of the Revolu- tionary war, and they came to Bond's creek, and made their home with Mr. Lacy for a time, and then went to Kansas, where Mrs. Haddox died. After her death Mr. Haddox re- turned to the home of his step-son, and spent the remainder of his days, dying at the advanced age of ninety years.
Mr. Lacy died in 1883, and his second wife, in 1900. All sleep within the bosom of the Highland cemetery.
The children of his first marriage are: Mrs. Elizabeth Pratt, and Mrs. Fannie Pratt, who survive; and Mary Jane, the late wife of William Bolton, of Tyler county; the late Mrs. Martha (Samuel) Rawson, and James, of Bond's creek.
The children of the second union are: P. L. Lacy, Wil- bur : Mrs. Emma Hayhurst, Ellenboro; A. L. Lacy, Nebraska ; Mrs. Ida Brown, J. B. and Miss Ella Lacy, Pennsboro.
Mrs. Ida Brown, and perhaps other members of the fan- ily, have been teachers.
Edward Cunningham was one of the earliest pioneers on Bond's creek, he having settled at the mouth of Whiskey run at a very early day. He was a native of Harrison county, and a brother of Elijah M., who married the sister of Thomas Harris. He later removed to Husher's run, where he died, and at Ellenboro he lies at rest.
His sons were Adam, John. William, Thomas, Elijah, and James : and his daughter, Mary or Polly, as she was called, became the second wife of Elijah Husher, of Husher's run.
Murphy Cunningham, a grandson of this pioneer, who is now very old, lives at Poynette, this state, and Mrs. Laura Fel- lows, a granddaughter, resides in Ohio, as do a number of his other descendants, Moses Cunningham, of Ellenboro: and Joseph, of Shultz, are other grandsons.
The Martins .- Martin, too, is an old and worthy Bond's creek name.
1Henry Haddox was a nephew of Raleigh Haddox, of the South fork, and his only daughter, Julia, married Frank Cook, of Parkersburg.
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John Martin was born in the New Jersey colony, of English parentage, in the first quarter of the eighteenth cen- tury ; and he, with his son, Joseph, fought in behalf of the colonies during the American Revolution. He being a com- missioned officer in General Greene's army. Shortly after the close of this struggle, he emigrated to what is now West Vir- ginia, and settled at Wheeling, and finally, removed to Athens, Ohio, where he died at the age of ninety-nine years.
Ilis son, Joseph, was born in New Jersey, in 1758, and during the residence of the family at Wheeling, he married Miss Martha Bryson, an Irish lassie, who crossed to America at the age of twelve years, and near the dawn of the nine- teenth century, he removed to Tyler county, where he died in 1833.
His son, Ephraim, was born in Tyler county, on August 18, 1803, and, in 1831, he was married to Miss Sarah Allen, of Lewis county, who was of German extraction, and took up his residence in his native county, where he remained until 1848, when he came to Bond's creek, and settled on the farm that is now the home of his son, Van Martin. near Pike. Here he continued to live until 1900, when he was laid in the Highland cemetery at the age of ninety-seven years. His wife had preceded him home by nine years.
He was the father of the following named children-some of whom reside here and are identified among our leading citizens :
Mrs. Eliza J. McGregor, Highland, who has passed her seventy-sixth mile stone ; Van Martin, of Pike, aged seventy- three, Joab Martin, of Pennsboro, aged seventy-one; Mrs. Susan Freeland, Morgan county, Ohio, aged sixty-nine, all of whom bid fair to carry out the traditional longevity of the family. Joseph Bryson Martin, with his brother, Joab, were soldiers of the Union army, but he lost his life at Cloyd Mountain.
The Campbells .- Campbell is another Bond's creek name that stands for good citizenship. This family is of Irish origin. Robert Campbell, whose ancestors emigrated from Ireland to Scotland, and from thence to America, married Miss Margaret Bell, and settled in Hancock county, (\V.)
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
Virginia, where they reared nine children-seven sons and two daughters. Two of these sons, Archibald and William Campbell were identified among the settlers of this creek.
Archibald Campbell married Miss Jane Adams, of Brooke county, who was of Scotch descent, and they came to Bond's creek near the year 1845; but afterwards removed to Upland, in Mason county, where they found a resting place.
Serena A. Campbell, who was laid in the Highland ceme- tery in 1905, was the late wife of Van A. Martin, of Pike. Mrs. Malinda A. Locke resides at the old home near Upland. and Samantha, Eliza, Bradford, and Wylie lie in the cemetery at Upland.
William Campbell married Miss Susan Adams. the sister of his brother's wife, and they came to Bond's creek, near 1853. and remained until they were laid away in the Highland cemetery.
Maria A., their eldest daughter, is Mrs. J. F. Bolton, of Beech Grove : Anne E., who was laid in the Highland ceme- tery, in 1891, was the late Mrs. Aaron Stuart; and Emma G., Milton .1., Oliver H., and William Lamar, none of whom were married, all rest in this cemetery.
Milton A., who served as a soldier in the Union army (in the 14th West Va. Infantry), died in a hospital at Parkers- burg. in 1864. And Oliver H., who enlisted in the same regi- ment, died in the Danville prison, in Georgia, in November, 1864.
The Rollinses .- Moses Rollins was one of the very earli- est pioneers on lower Bond's creek. He was born on July S. 1763, and died during the winter of 1858-9, at the age of ninety-six years. He was a veteran of the Revolution, and a Brittish cannon-ball had taken off both legs, and "so he laid down his arms." And he carried bullets from the enemy's guns in his hip to the hour of his death. He lies in the "Tay- lor burying-ground." and his wife. Nancy. who was born in 1195. probably, rests by his side.
From a well-worn old family Bible the following record was taken :
Henry Rollins (born April 1, 1810), Jeremiah (January 30, 1813), Sarah (May 9. 1815). Edward (June 1, 181;).
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Rebecca (May 6, 1819), Jemima (February 15, 1821), James (January 6, 1823), William (November 29, 1824), Lemuel (October 15, 1837), Elizabeth (January 6, 1830), and Jesse M. (September 25, 1832).
The data concerning this family is very meager, but the descendants are quite numerously scattered throughout Ritchie and adjoining counties. B. F. Rollins, of Cairo ; Amos, of Cornwallis; and the late John, of Lawford ; are grandsons of Moses Rollins.
The Pratts merit a place among the older people of Bond's creek, though not so early as many of the rest.
Thomas P. Pratt, the head of this family, was a Monon- galia county product ; and from there he came to this county in 1856, and settled on the Luke Hemsworth farm, on Big Knot run, where he spent his last moments on April 16, 1867, and at Hebron he lies at rest.
His wife, Mrs. Cynthia Anne Evans Pratt, was born in Monongalia county, on April 29, 1804, and died on October 14, 1869, and was laid by his side.
Their family consisted of the following named members :
Maria M. (1831-1852), unmarried; William O. (1839- 1868), unmarried : John W. (1840-died in youth) ; Phebe (1845-1845) ; Thomas B. (1850-1854) ; Martha A. (1835-1896). married George Shingleton, and died in Pleasants county, leaving five children; Dudley N. (1837-1891), married Miss Fanny Lacy, and spent his life on Husher's run, where his only heir, John B. Pratt, now lives. Margaret (1846-), mar- ried John Wricke and died at Hebron, leaving no issue. And James E. Pratt, the remaining member of the family, spent his life in this county.
James E. Pratt was born in Monongalia county, on Sep- tember 26, 1842, and with his parents, came to Bond's creek, in his boyhood. At the age of twenty years he took up his sword in defense of the Union, and served for two years in Company G, Fourth Regiment West Virginia Cavalry. He manifested quite an interest in educational matters and was a member of the Board of Education of Clay district at the time of his death, and was also a member of the Grand Army Post at Pennsboro.
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On October 24, 1867, he was married to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Hogue, and thirteen children were the result of this union. He died at Beech Grove, on April 12, 1909, and was taken to the U. B. cemetery at Pennsboro, for burial. Mrs. Pratt still survives.
The children: Arah, the eldest daughter, is Mrs. A. R. Horner, of Parkersburg: Cynthia is the wife of Dr. L. H. Hayhurst, of Pullman; Bertha is Mrs. R. L. Lacy, of Mari- etta : E. E. Pratt, is of Clarksburg : J. I., of Charleston : O. C., of Parkersburg; T. O., of Pittsburg; Harry, of Parkersburg; Luther and Earle, are at home, and Asa, Andy, and Charles died in childhood.
CHAPTER XIII
Husher's Run
HIS stream is a tributary of Bond's creek, and its name perpetuates the memory of its first settler. George Husher, who was, also, the first settler of Bond's creek. And though it is but a small stream, it drains a fertile region, and not a few prominent pio- neer names have an association with its his- tory.
Elijah Cunningham, son of William, was one of the earliest settlers after Jacob Husher. He was a native of the "Old Dominion ;" and his wife was Miss Sarah Wigner, sis- ter of John Wigner, junior. Here they both spent the greater part of their lives, and in the Ellenboro cemetery, they lie at rest. He died during the autumn of 1868; and she, in 1882, at the age of ninety years.
Their eldest daughter, Elizabeth, married Wm. I. Pyles, and was the mother of W. H. Pyles, of Hebron ; Sarah Ani was the late Mrs. William Wells-mother of George Wells, of Pennsboro; Barbara became Mrs. John A. Webb, and went to Kansas ; Emeline is Mrs. McLean, of Ohio: Cathrine was the late Mrs. Van Cundiff, of Danville, Illinois ; Mary Jane, who is still single, resides at Belpre. Ohio: William, the only son (married Margaret Curry), resides near Pennsboro.
John Wigner was the first settler at Ellenboro. He was of German descent and of Pennsylvania birth ; and he came to the Smithville vicinity, from the "City of Brotherly Love," with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Wigner, senior. He was first married to Miss Katherine Wetzel, a near relative of the distinguished Lewis Wetzel, who was, also, of German line-
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HISTORY OF RITCHIE COUNTY
age : and with her took up his residence on the G. \V. Lani- bert farm, near Ellenboro, about the year 1814. His second wife was Miss Sarah Ann Larison. He was a soldier of the war of 1812. He sold his possessions here to Bazil William- son, and went to Harrison county, where he "heired his six feet of earth."
His children were two in number: Jacob Wigner, junior, and Mrs. Mary (Andrew ) Johnson.
George B. Johnson, and Mrs. Mary Wigner, of Ellenboro : Mrs. Jabez Elliott, junior, of Calhoun county ; and Jackson Johnson, of Indiana, are his grandchildren.
His two brothers, Jacob and Henry Wigner, also, found homes in this part of the county near the same time.
Jacob Wigner, senior, was married to Miss Leah Cun- ningham, daughter of pioneer William, of Harrisville and Cornwallis, and settled on Stuart's run, on the farm that has since been known as the "Patrick Cochran homestead." Here his death occurred in 1853, and at Riddel's chapel, beside his wife, he rests. He was the builder of the first dwelling in the town of Ellenboro.
His children were: Mrs. Joseph Rush (the only surviv- ing one), the late D. R. Wigner, of Pike; Elijah, William, James, Mrs. W. B. Carpenter, and Henry, who died in youth. all sleep in this county ; and John S. Wigner, and Mrs. Susan Clarke, in Pleasants county.
Henry Wigner was married to Miss Elizabeth Lowther, daughter of Jesse Lowther, of Cornwallis, and settled on what is best known as "the Hitchcock farm"-now the home of J. S. Pratt, near Ellenboro. But he afterwards removed to the Cairo vicinity, where he passed from earth, at a ripe old age, and in the Egypt cemetery, with his companion, his ashes lie.
His children were: William, of Ellenboro: Wesley, of Pennsboro: Mrs. Susan (John) Heaton, of Harrisville; and Phebe, who died in youth.
Michael Johnson was another early settler on Husher's run. He was born and reared in "Old Erin?" and there he was married to Miss Hannah Hughes, a relative of Jesse and Elias Hughes, and from there, they fled to America from
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HUSHER'S RUN
religious persecution and settled in Virginia. They came to the Ellenboro vicinity, in 1827, where they remained until they passed to the "home over there."
Their family consisted of eight children : viz., George and Andrew, were both drowned while crossing the Ohio river in a skiff, in 1834; William went to Towa: Mrs. Susan Gaston, Misses Dorcas and Rebecca Johnson were all of Harrison county ; and Maria, the wife of Ezekiel Bee, was of Berea.
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